"Guest" turned up without confirmed booking

[Jo125]

Hi

I have had a guest turn up and slip a note under my door a few days ago and then turn up to my home again tonight as I had not responded to note under door.  To be totally honest this 'spooked' me as I didn't think enquiries know where I live until the booking has been accepted.  Tonight they have said they have paid Airbnb to my neighbour.  I also was not happy that now a neighbour knows I am listed in Airbnb.  Not happy at all.  I hope that someone from Airbnb can explain this to me as I may need to remove my listing.  Jo

[Lilian20]

Hello @Jo125 - i understand what you mean when people turn up without invite, it happened to me once as well and I told them :

"Confirm the booking on the web so that my calendar gets updated."

That's the easiest way out of trouble. 

However I don't understand why your neighbors shouldn't be aware that you are part of the airbnb community. 

[Robin4]

@Lilian20    How are you Li, thanks for all your support over the past year mate....it is nice to know you have someone else on your side at times!!

Your comment is a good one, just tell the 'guest' to confirm the booking with Airbnb before allowing them to enter. If the guest is 'on the level' they will have no problem with that....if they are not, they will disappear, simply as that.

Yeah, the neighbours bit is a little strange! It is almost as though they did a 'Tour de France' of the area before knocking on Jo's  door!

@Jo125.....Yeah Jo, that is strange! My first thought was that you gave too much identifying material in your description, but you don't, and your reviews don't give away your location...(which I have to say is one of the best in Sydney)!!

Gee Jo, my first reaction would be to say, you really do need to open a complaint with Airbnb about this, but, I can't see that this 'person' has got your details from what you display publically on the Airbnb site. I know Cremorne pretty well but there is no way I could track down your listing from the information you have supplied on Airbnb! And there is no way Airbnb would have given any identifying information unless a confirmed reservation was in place.

There is something 'Sus' going on here that I think you need to look at and be aware of Jo....this guy has got his information outside your public Airbnb profile and I think you need to look to other areas to find out how this has happened.....

I don't think it's Airbnb's fault!

Cheers....Rob

[Helen3]

Hello @Jo125

This doesn't sound right at all. When the 'guest' first slipped a note under your door - did you contact Airbnb to find out what had happened?

Why would a guest pay your neighbour? Payment goes through Airbnb - they don't pay the host directly.

If you don't have a confirmed booking through Airbnb blocked out in your calendar and a booking confirmation from Airbnb, then they haven't booked. I presume you didn't let them into stay?

Give Airbnb a call and ask for their advice...this is a forum for hosts so we can't answer your question I'm afraid. (2nd post Community Help forum if you don't have contact details).

Have you spoken to your neighbour about this?

I wouldn't see this as a reason to cancel your listing, but if you want to do this you can go into your listing and delete it.

[Robin4]

@Helen3

Geez I hate picking on you Helen, you are right so often, I feel a heel when I say something against you!!!

What Jo said was..... " Tonight they have said they have paid Airbnb to my neighbour." Jo didn't say they paid the neighbour, just that they told the neighbour that they had paid Airbnb. 

Just the fact that they would go into that much detail with a neighbour makes the whole thing sound like a scam....which of course it is!

@Jo125.....I would be a bit concerned about this Jo....does this 'guest' have an Airbnb profile? If he, she, it does, flag it, and when Airbnb asks for a reason you are reporting this guest, just say the guest was trying to book and stay outside the Airbnb system! Airbnb will deal with it from there...they seriously don't like anyone else 'cutting their lunch'!

Cheers.....Rob

[David126]

My first thought was that it was some sort of drive by, but as others more familiar with the area have said, nothing I can see that directs you to the property.

Somebody who had stayed previously? Somebody who knows somebody who had stayed previously?

If and I do not think this happened somebody had a booking they would also have your contact details and would not have put a note under the door.

Very strange. Not sure if it is an AirBnB issue.

[Heather118]

My guess is Airbnb may have some coding issues- nobody is supposed to be able to book after 2pm and someone instant booked same day at 5. I've also tried to type my response on this box 3 times and had it get rid of my cursor and not let me move it to where I was typing, just an example of why I think it's coding related.

[Robin4]

@Heather118

Gee Heather I reckon I can beat that! A week ago I was up here doing what I do on the forum, it was 9.15pm and a paid booking request came through for a stay that night! I sort of paniced because, although the bed was made I still had a fair bit of work to do to prepare the cottage but I phoned the guest and said give me 40 minutes and all will be good and within an hour there they were in the cottage.

So, an Airbnb booking can come through on a moments notice!!

Cheers.....Rob

[Dee9]

My house # is not listed anywhere in my account (even after booking). Only the street name & town.